Recently, I’ve been talking with clients and family members about this very topic. For business owners and executives, the question of what you want can spiderweb into several areas:

• What do you see yourself doing in 5, 10, 15 years?
• What’s the succession plan for your business or to fill your executive role when you leave?
• What purpose do you want to get out of life?
• What daily activities will you engage in your future vision?

These are important questions.

Let’s look at that last question…. if you retire, are you really going to play golf or garden every day? As in EVERY DAY? If you’re burnt out and starving for something outside your professional life, that idea might sound lovely right now. But, realistically, you would get tired of that day after day after day.

One client told me he had never asked himself these questions. He was always making decisions based on what he thought would be best for others: his family, his employees, his partners…. but never him.

But the success of his company, today and tomorrow, actually depends on those answers.

The other thing you need to know is that your employees are (or should be) also asking these questions. One of the insights to emerge from the Great Resignation is that opportunities for professional development and skills building are in the top five needs of employees.

That means they are asking themselves these questions of what they want and what they see in their future.

If these questions scare you, just know that you don’t have to commit to anything. I never make strict five-year plans. My life changes drastically, it seems, in six-month increments at times. But I know what I want in the near future, and that helps me take the next steps, as well as put into place things for my life and business that will help me get there.

I have a three-phase vision plan for The Shuler Group to help me know when I have reached certain milestones and what those milestones look like. It’s like being in New York City, and knowing that you want to get to San Francisco.

Honestly, I’m in Phase One, but I know what Phase Two looks like, and I’m putting resources in place and taking action to get beyond Phase One into Phase Two.

So, somewhat specific and detailed.

In my personal life (outside of my role as CEO and Founder of The Shuler Group), I follow my artistic and creative pursuits to work through my Art As Spirituality movement.

“What is that?” you might ask. Well, it’s a way for me to explore the belief that there is something more beyond our day-to-day, physical life that begs us to explore. Art As Spirituality is a manifestation of my need and desire to find a way to access that which is higher and bigger than ourselves.

What does that look like? I honestly have no idea! It could be art, or workshops, or retreats, or….

It’s like being in New York City and not sure of the final destination.

So, NOT very specific or detailed. 🙂

The point is that I ask myself these questions of what I want and where I want to go. Sometimes that roadmap has a specific destination; other times it’s a feeling that feels right to explore at this time.

Take some time over the next few days and sit quietly. Ask yourself the questions I posed above. Here they are again:

• What do you see yourself doing in 5, 10, 15 years?
• What’s the succession plan for your business or to fill your executive role when you leave?
• What purpose do you want to get out of life?
• What daily activities will you engage in your future vision?

Where are you now, and where do you want to be?